immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Innenverdichtung

  • How much of the past can densification tolerate?

    How much of the past can densification tolerate?

    The Brunnergut estate was built in two stages in the mid-1950s and early 1960s and marked the transition to the functionalist, automotive city. As one of Winterthur’s first residential ensembles with underground parking, it replaced the Villa Malabar and reshaped an entire inner block between Lindstrasse, Kreuzstrasse, Sulzbergstrasse and St. Georgenstrasse. The 1954 planning application itself sparked a fierce controversy. Early debates about density, traffic and cityscape, as they occupy the entire agglomeration today

    in 2016, the city of Winterthur added Brunnergut to the inventory of buildings worthy of protection, followed by its entry in the cantonal inventory of listed buildings of supra-municipal importance in 2018. This made it clear that the estate was not only considered everyday architecture, but also an ensemble with architectural and socio-historical significance that should be taken into account in any further planning

    Legal ping-pong over protection
    With the cantonal dismissal in 2024, the building department wanted to relax the protection status again. Based on an expert opinion from the cantonal monument preservation commission and subsequent additions. The Zurich Heritage Society challenged this, and the Building Appeal Court demanded a supplementary or top-level expert opinion during the proceedings and criticized gaps in the expert assessment

    At the same time, the Winterthur city council planned to remove Brunnergut from the municipal inventory. The Zurich Heritage Society lodged another appeal against this. In its decision of November 6, 2025, the Building Appeals Court has now ruled that the city is unlawfully relying unilaterally on the KDK report and that the facts of the case have not been sufficiently clarified for the property to be removed from the inventory. The judges demanded an expert opinion from an independent expert who had not previously been involved. A clear signal for higher requirements for the justification of de-protection decisions

    More than just a technical issue of monument preservation
    The criticism focuses not only on formal deficiencies, but also on gaps in content. Imprecise plans, insufficient discussion of the qualities identified in the inventory sheet and an insufficient appreciation of the social and economic-historical significance. Specifically, the court criticized the fact that the role of the estate as an early example of dense, car-oriented post-war modernism and as part of Winterthur’s settlement history was not seriously included in the comparison with other estates

    For urban planning and the real estate industry, Brunnergut is therefore far more than an isolated case. The procedure shows how strongly inventory decisions must be legally and professionally underpinned today if they are to survive in an environment of housing shortages, pressure to densify and politically heated debates about objections and heritage protection

    What the case means for future projects
    The Zürcher Heimatschutz sees the decision as a strengthening of the inventory concept. Inventories are not mere lists, but planning instruments that must meet high standards before they can be dismantled. For cities like Winterthur, this means that anyone wishing to subsequently remove protection must transparently explain why arguments relating to building culture, urban development and social history outweigh the interests of densification, renewal or returns

    For investors, owners and planners, this increases the importance of well-documented surveys and early involvement of heritage conservation. Especially in the case of post-war housing estates, which were long regarded as “ordinary” existing buildings. Brunnergut shows that the second half of the 20th century is increasingly understood as part of the architectural heritage and that the path to conversion or replacement construction will in future often lead via independent expert reports and carefully balanced conservation concepts

  • Between stability, housing protection and growth pressure

    Between stability, housing protection and growth pressure

    Current mood in the Basel real estate industry
    The current situation is ambivalent. On the one hand, Basel enjoys great economic stability and a strong real economic basis, as current market analyses confirm. On the other hand, the shoe is on the other foot when it comes to the actual production of living space. In an international comparison with Paris, San Francisco or London, for example, the cost of housing is still moderate in relation to wages in Basel. But the mood is gloomy. Housing production is not doing well. This is not so much due to a lack of investors, but rather to complex planning processes and home-made hurdles.

    The challenge of housing protection
    A central topic of the debate is Basel’s “housing protection”. The law, originally intended to ensure the social compatibility of renovations and protect tenants, is proving to be an obstacle to investment in practice.

    The criticism is that although the housing protection is well-intentioned, it actually reduces supply. If refurbishments become uneconomical due to excessive requirements, they simply do not take place. Although adjustments have already been made to the ordinance, for example to facilitate energy-efficient renovations, the uncertainty remains. Fewer new apartments are coming onto the market, while immigration continues. This is exacerbating the very shortage that was supposed to be combated. Anyone looking for an apartment today, whether due to family matters, a job change or a move, will find a dried-up market and high prices. The regulation thus protects the existing stock, but puts those who want to enter the market at a disadvantage.

    Lessons for other cantons
    A look across the border shows that Basel currently serves more as a warning than a role model in terms of regulation. The introduction of strict protective provisions is reminiscent of past mistakes (interest rate and regulatory policy 40 years ago). The lesson for other cantons is therefore that supply should not be artificially reduced when it is increasing.

    Another phenomenon is the conversion of office space. What was hardly conceivable four years ago due to yield expectations has suddenly become attractive due to rising interest rates and changing office markets. However, these transformations usually do not create affordable living space, but rather high-priced offers.

    Basel in the Switzerland of 10 million
    Switzerland is growing and Basel is growing with it. The city has enormous potential in the form of former industrial sites (e.g. Klybeck Plus) and transformation areas. Investors would be willing to develop and densify these areas. But the problem is the length of time involved. Planning processes, such as the one for the Klybeck site, take 5 to 6 years before construction can even begin.

    For a Switzerland with 10 million inhabitants, there is no alternative to inner densification. Compromises have to be found, as was the case with the “climate cardinals” initiative. Areas over 30,000 m² should be allowed to be built on more densely, but must meet strict ecological and social criteria. It is important to understand the investor side here, especially pension funds. These manage trust funds for retirement provision and cannot simply cross-subsidize living space. Planning security is the hardest currency here.

    Future and solutions
    What does the future look like? Above all, the sector is calling for acceleration and flexibility. As in Germany, we should discuss the planning turbo and mechanisms would be needed to drastically shorten approval procedures. The real estate of the future must be flexible. What is an office today must be able to be an apartment tomorrow and perhaps an office or logistics space the day after tomorrow. Fragmented monostructures are no longer in keeping with the times. The fear of growth must give way to a desire for design. Quality is created through good internal densification and a mix of uses, not through stagnation.

    The means and the capital would be available to alleviate Basel’s housing shortage. What is lacking is a regulatory environment that enables rather than prevents investment and a planning process that keeps pace with the speed of social change.

  • Potential for residential construction and internal development

    Potential for residential construction and internal development

    Residential construction is a key factor in sustainable urban and spatial development. Switzerland is faced with the task of creating new living space without unnecessarily taking up valuable land outside existing settlement areas. The findings of the Federal Office for Spatial Development show that the construction of existing housing in particular will play a key role in future development. However, this is associated with more complex challenges than new construction on previously undeveloped land.

    Where are new apartments being built?
    An analysis of residential construction activity between 2018 and 2022 shows clear patterns. Rural and peri-urban municipalities show a higher level of new construction activity in relation to their primary housing stock than urban areas. Nevertheless, the proportion of new builds on previously undeveloped building plots has decreased overall, while the proportion of construction in existing buildings now accounts for 59% of building permits. In urban areas, residential construction is increasingly concentrated in existing residential areas, while growth continues to be recorded on the outskirts of settlements.

    The challenge of building on existing properties
    Building housing on existing sites is more complex than developing new building areas. One key finding is that municipalities with large undeveloped building land reserves have less building activity in existing areas. The pressure for redensification is lower where there is still sufficient space for new buildings. At the same time, targeted measures by the municipalities and high-quality construction projects can make a positive contribution to inner development and create incentives for the use of existing structures.

    Drivers of and obstacles to building activity
    Building activity on undeveloped land is easier to analyze as it is strongly influenced by measurable factors such as property price trends and rent levels. Case studies show that municipalities with an active housing policy have a higher rate of inner-city development. Municipal measures such as targeted advice, land policy or attractive public spaces can provide decisive incentives for redensification.

    Quality as the key to acceptance
    Another success factor is the quality of the construction projects. Social acceptance is higher when construction projects not only create additional living space, but also contribute to the quality of the settlement. This includes publicly accessible open spaces, the promotion of biodiversity and socially acceptable housing. Such quality criteria are particularly important in inner-city development, as structural changes often take place in the direct residential environment of the residents.

    Settlement development a long-term change
    Ten years after the Spatial Planning Act came into force, initial data shows that the transformation towards inner-city development has begun. Particularly in urban areas such as Zurich, Basel and Lausanne, more and more apartments are being built by converting or adding storeys to existing buildings. However, there is also an increasing trend in peri-urban and rural communities towards the use of already built-up areas.

    Strategies for residential construction
    The analysis of residential construction activity shows that targeted control through spatial planning is possible. Municipalities that actively promote inner-city development are better able to meet the challenges of residential construction. Successful strategies include a forward-looking land policy, high-quality construction projects and close cooperation between the public and private sectors. Inner development remains one of the central tasks for future-oriented spatial development in order to meet the growing demand for housing in a resource-efficient manner.

  • Housing market loses liquidity

    Housing market loses liquidity

    The number of rental flats advertised on the most important property portals fell by 13 per cent year-on-year between April 2023 and March 2024 to 340,000 advertisements, according to the Swiss Real Estate Institute, SVIT Switzerland and the Swiss Homeowners Association(HEV) in their latest online flat index. “Tenants are staying in their flats because they cannot find new ones at comparable rents, which in turn reduces the supply,” they say. The property experts from the three organisations have identified a decline in the supply of small to medium-sized affordable flats in particular. In contrast, the supply of large flats has increased.

    In the reporting period, around 625,000 relocations were counted across Switzerland, which is 75,000 fewer than in the same period last year. According to property experts, this lock-in effect was reinforced by the fact that existing rents rose less sharply than asking rents during the reporting period. As a result, the housing market is losing liquidity.

    However, despite the reduced supply of properties, advertising times for rental flats have only shortened slightly. It has therefore not become more difficult to find a new flat, the property experts explain. However, interested parties would probably have to dig deeper into their pockets or reduce the amount of space they use.

    Rising rents are leading to a reduction in living space per capita, explains study director Peter Ilg from the Swiss Real Estate Institute. “This leads to less of a housing shortage in cities, and less living space consumption per capita achieves the universally desired internal densification.”